2011-FallBusiness Statistics I Section 003

Instructor Information

Instructor / Dr. Craig W. Slinkman
Office / COBA 532
Office Phone: / 817-272-3549
Home Phone: / 817-483-9176
Cell Phone:
Email: /
You must send all your class communication using your assigned UTA email account because the UTA email security program often flags non-UTA emails as spam.
You should also read your UTA email account as class information will be emailed to this address. You are responsible for any messages sent to this address. You can, of course, have email sent to your UTA email forwarded to another email address. See the help desk in the library for this procedure.

Course Description

This course presents the application of statistical techniques to business and economic data. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability distributions, estimation, inference, regression, correlation, and time series. Prerequisite: INSY 2303 and MATH 1315.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: INSY 2303 and MATH 1315.

Section Information

Section / Time / Room
BSTAT 3321-003 / MoWe9:30-11:00AM / COBA255

Office Hours

Day / Location / Time
TuTh / COBA 532 / 11:15 – 11:45
TuTh / Basement UTA Library Study Area / 14:00 – 16:00
We / Basement UTA Library Study Area / 19:00 – 21:00
Th / Basement UTA Library Study Area / 19:00 – 21:30

Office hours are available by appointment. Help sessions are offered prior to exams.

Office hours are also available by appointment. Help sessions are offered prior to exams.

Textbooks

Curricula Requirements / Recommended
Text
BSTA 3321 / Levin David M., Stephan David F., Krehbiel, Timothy C., and Marl L, Berenson (2011). Statistics for Managers: Custom Edition for the University of Texas at Arlington. ISBN-13: 978-0-558-66795-5 or ISBN 10: 0-558-66795-3.
BSTAT 3321 & BSTAT 3322 / Levin David M., Stephan David F., Krehbiel, Timothy C., and Marl L, Berenson (2011). Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, New York, New York.
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-703519-9 or ISBN-10: 0-13-703519-5.

Hardware

We strongly advise you to use a laptop or notepad computer in this course. You should bring your laptop to class every day. Extension cords will be provided by your instructor (out of his own pocket).

Software

We will be using Microsoft Excel 2010. You msut have access to a copy. It is installed in most of the PC labs on campus.

Grading Policy

2 Exams / 50%
Homework / 20%
Comprehensive Final Exam / 30%
Total points / 100%

Drops

If you stop attending class and do not take the exams and do the required you will receive an F in the class.

2010 Summer BSTAT 5325Final Averages

Exams

The following rules apply to exams.

  1. There will be no make-up exams. The grade on your final exam will substitute for the missing exam. If you miss a single exam, then the final will count twice. So try to not miss an exam.
  2. The final exam is comprehensive.
  3. You will be allowed one formula sheet per exam. On the final exam you may use

Homework

1.Experience has taught that the most important aspect of learning statistics is student’s doing the homework. Human nature being what it is business statistics students tend to avoid doing homework if the homework is not graded. Therefore, your homework will be graded.

2.I will pass homework out homework problems in class.

3.Each homework problem must be typed. Failure to do so will result in grade of zero. You can write any equations by hand if you do not use the Microsoft Word Equation Editor.

4.Each homework problem must start on a new page. All pages of the homework problem must be stapled together.

5.The header of each homework problem must contain the homework assignment and the problem number and you name. For example problem 3.05 would be the fifth problem on the third homework.

6.I will drop the lowest homework assignment. The only exception to this is the last homework assignment. It will count two of the other homework assignments. If you miss it I will drop 1 of the zeros.

7.Appropriate computer output must be included in your problems solution. We will be using the Microsoft Excel. Computations carried out by hand must show the appropriate equation, numeric substitutions, and resultant computations.

8.Failure to show work will result in a zero for a problem.

9.An example homework problem will be handled out in class and posted on the web site.

Class Drops

Instructors can no longer drop students who do not come and participate in class. It is the responsibility of the students to drop a class. The last day to drop in the 2012 spring semester is March 30.

Extra Credit

You can earn up to five points on your final average by submitting a paper on one of the four books listed in the book section of this document. You must follow the following directions explicitly. Failure to do so will result in your report not being graded.

Approved Extra Credit Books

Extra Credit

You can earn up to five points on your final average by submitting a paper on one of the four books listed in the book section of this document. You must follow the following directions explicitly. Failure to do so will result in your report not being graded.

Extra Credit Requirements

  1. You can only submit a paper on one of the books listed below.
  2. Your paper must contain an introduction and summary. In the summary explain how the author applies critical thinking to the books subject matter. The summary must also describe the major point that the author is trying to expound on.
  3. You must give at least a one to two paragraph summary of each chapter. What was the theme of the chapter? In this summary, you must identify facts or theory you found surprising or did not know.
  4. The paper must be submitted as a printed paper and a label CD in a Manila envelope. Failure to do so will result in the paper not being graded. The CD will be used to search the internet for plagiarism.
  5. The paper must be your own work. If I find any copied material from the internet or another student I will deduct 5 points from your final average.
  6. The paper must be well written and meet the standards one would expect from a college student.
  7. The paper is due the last class day before the final exam. Late papers will not be graded. So if you are expecting to need these points, I would suggest you complete your review early.

Extra Credit Books

1. / Angier, Natalie (2007). The Cannon: Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basic of Science. , (ISBN 978-0-547-05346-2). Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, New York.
This book covers the present view of scientific knowledge in the physical, biological, and earth sciences.
2. / Ayres, Ian (2008). Super Crunchers: Why Thinking-by-Numbers Is the New Way to be Smart. ISBN 978-0-553-38473-4.
The author does a very good job in introducing the basic ideas behind data mining for non-specialist readers. In addition, Ayres has collected a bunch of small, and very interesting, stories about people crunching data (wine quality prediction, baseball, etc.). In every situation, the author shows how crunching numbers help people make decisions but also how difficult it is to make non-expert believe in your results. This is, to my opinion, the most interesting aspect of the book.
3. / Gilovich, Thomas (1991). How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life (ISBN 020-991707-2). Simon and Shuster, New York, New York.
Sports fans who think that basketball players shoot in "hot streaks," and maternity nurses who maintain that more babies are born when the moon is full adhere to erroneous beliefs, according to Gilovich, associate professor of psychology at Cornell.
4. / Lewis, Michael (2003). Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (ISBN 0-393-05765-8). W. W. Norton and Company, New York, New York.
Lewis examines how in 2002 the Oakland Athletics achieved a spectacular winning record while having the smallest player payroll of any major league baseball team. If you read this book remember the goal of all sport franchises is to make money.
A classic book how one exploit an inefficient market to make money.
4. / Lewis, Michael (2009). Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity(ISBN: 978-0-293-06514.5), W. W. Norton & Company, new York, New, York.
Why are the financial markets melting down about every 5 years? This book is a series of articles from the business press discussing the more recent financial bubbles and panics.
6. /

Ma, Jeffrey (2010). The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big In Business (ISBN: 0230622720or ISBN-13: 9780230622722). Palgrave McMillian, New York, NY 10010.

Ma, the math whiz and subject of Ben Mezrich's bestselling Bringing Down the House, turns his savvy to business. A former professional card counter on the MIT blackjack team, Ma used statistics to beat the game, and his enthusiasm for the power of data and for overcoming emotion to make the best decisions proves persuasive. Though his lessons aren't particularly new, his methods and thrilling stories of card counting in Vegas gives his book a compelling boost.

Tentative Class Schedule

Week / Topic(s) / Text Chapters / Module / Practice Problems / Graded Homework
1 / Why study statistics? / 1 / 01-Why Study Statistics? / 1.6,1.8 / H1
Measurement / 2.1 / 02-Measurement and Data / 2.4, 2.8,2.14
2 / Visualizing data / 2.2-2.5 / 03-Graphical descriptive statistics / 2.20, 2.26,2.28, 2.46, 2.48, 2.50, 2.59, 2.64 / H2
3 / Numerical descriptive statistics / 3.1 -2.2 / 04-Numerical descriptive statistics / 3.2, 3,12, 3,14, 3.38, 3,30, 3.40,3.41, 3.42 / H3
4 / Exam I / See above / Modules 1-3
4 / Probability / 4 / 05-Probability / 4.4, 4,8, 4.12, 4.14
4 / Probability / 4 / 05-Probability / 4.16, 4.22, 4.24, 4.32, 4.34 / H4
5 / Discrete probability distributions / 5.1-5.3 / 06-Discrete probability distributions / 5.2, 5.4, 5.6, 5.18, 5.20, 5.22, 5.26 / H5
6 / Continuous probability distributions and the normal distribution / 6.1-6.3 / 07-Normal distribution / 6.2, 6.6, 6.8. 6.10, 6.12, 6.16, 6.22 / H6
7 / Exam II / See above / Modules 03-07
7 / Sampling Distributions / 7 / Module 8 - Sampling distributions / 7.12, 7.24, 7.26, 7.20, 7.22
8 / Sampling Distributions / 7 / 08 - Sampling distributions / 7.12, 7.24, 7.26, 7.20, 7.22 / H7
7 / Estimation / 8 / 09-Estimation / Practice problems will be handed out in class / H8
8 / Estimation / 8 / 09-Estimation / Practice problems will be handed out in class / H9
Week of / Topic(s) / Text Chapters / Module / Practice Problems / Graded Homework
8 / Hypothesis Testing / 9 / 10-Hypothesis testing / Practice problems will be handed out in class
9 / Hypothesis Testing / 9 / 10-Hypothesis testing / Practice problems will be handed out in class / H10
9 / Simple linear regression / 13 / 11-Simple linear regression / Practice problems will be handed out in class
10 / Simple linear regression / 13 / 11-Simple linear regression / Practice problems will be handed out in class / H11
11 / Review
Evaluations
12 / Final Exam / Everything

Academic Integrity & Scholastic Dishonesty

Introduction

It is the policy of the University of Texas at Arlington to uphold and support standards of personal honesty and integrity for all students consistent with the goals of a community of scholars and students seeking knowledge and truth. Furthermore, it is the policy of the University to enforce these standards through fair and objective procedures governing instances of alleged dishonesty, cheating, and other academic/non-academic misconduct.

What is Academic Integrity?

Academic integrity is defined as being a firm adherence to a code or standard of values. It is a commitment on the part of the students, faculty and staff, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values:

  • Honesty
  • Truth
  • Fairness
  • Respect
  • Responsibility

These values form the principles of acceptable academic behavior. Unfortunately, when these ideals are not translated to each and every one in the academic community, academic dishonesty is inevitable.

Student’s behavior in an academic institution will form the basis of their professional life. One only has to look at WorldCom, Tyco, and Enron.

Student Responsibility

You can assume responsibility in two ways. First, if you choose to take the risk associated with scholastic dishonesty and any other violation of the Code of Student Conduct and Discipline, you must assume responsibility for your behaviors and accept the consequences. In an academic community, the standards for integrity are high. Second, if you are aware of scholastic dishonesty and any other conduct violations on part of others, you have the responsibility to report it to the professor or the assistant dean of students/director of student judicial affairs. The decision to do so is another moral dilemma to be faced as you define who you are.

Academic Dishonesty

What Constitutes Scholastic Dishonesty?

Cheating

  • Copying another's test of assignment.
  • Communication with another during an exam or assignment (i.e. written, oral or otherwise).
  • Giving or seeking aid from another when not permitted by the instructor.
  • Possessing or using unauthorized materials during the test.
  • Buying, using, stealing, transporting, or soliciting a test, draft of a test, or answer key.

Plagiarism

  • Using someone else's work in your assignment without appropriate acknowledgement.
  • Making slight variations in the language and then failing to give credit to the source.

Collusion

  • Without authorization, collaborating with another when preparing an assignment.

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